The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) Renmin University of China Institute of Environmental Policy and Planning

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2 Report Authors: The Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) Renmin University of China Institute of Environmental Policy and Planning Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology Friends of Nature Envirofriends Nature University From IPE: Ma Jun, Gu Beibei, He Jing, Shen Sunan, Liu Jialong, Sun Zhenfang, Yuan Yan, Zhang Yi, Lu Xinghua, Guo Ye, Chang Zewei, Wang Jingjing From Renmin University of China Institute of Environmental Policy and Planning: Song Guojun, He Wei, Chen Jianzhen, Xi Ting Volunteers: Tong Xuanchang, Wang Yue, Yang Zhaoci, Gu Yue, Guo Zunwei, Li Juan Cover Design: Ma Jun, Guo Ye Translation: Matthew Collins, Gu Beibei, Yuan Yan, Tristan Evans, Chen Qing Thanks to:

3 Contents Summary Rapid Progress on Monitoring Disclosure and Emergency Measures Monitoring Disclosure has Expanded Rapidly Real-time Disclosure Facilitates Greater Public Access to Information Real-time Disclosure Highlights the Severity of Pollution Problems Emergency Measures Many Regions have already Implemented Emergency Measures To Deal with Severe Air Pollution Many Cities have Activated Emergency Plans for Periods of Serious Pollution Key Emergency Measures Need to be Implemented From Real-time PM 2.5 Disclosure to Real time Pollution Source Information Disclosure Understanding Pollution Sources The Regional Characteristics of Atmospheric Air Pollution and Pollution Discharge Sources Towards Real-time Disclosure of Pollution Source Information Real time Disclosure in Provinces like Shandong and Zhejiang Leads the Way Preliminary Analysis of Real-time Disclosure Results A Key Breakthrough is needed to Promote Step by Step Emissions Reductions Conclusions and Recommendations Appendix A AQTI Evaluation Scores for 113 Chinese Cities Appendix B List of NGOs who have helped with Positioning of Pollution Sources Appendix C Enterprises Breaching Discharge Standards during Periods of Heavy Pollution in Shandong Province Appendix D Average Daily Emissions Concentrations showing Exceedances for some Key State Monitored Enterprises in Beijing Appendix E Changes in Discharge Volumes over the period October-December from some Key Monitored Enterprises in Beijing Appendix F Guangdong Case Study Appendix G List of Key Monitored Enterprises in Beijing, Hebei, Shandong by Discharge Volume Translation Accuracy Disclaimer This document has been translated by IPE for the purposes of reference only. Due to the difficulties of translation slight differences may exist. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of the information contained in this translation, please refer to the Chinese version of the document which is the official version of the document. Any discrepancies or differences created in the translation are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes.

4 Summary In 2013 China s urban atmospheric air pollution problems caught the attention of the general public. Many regions experienced severe smog, which was especially bad in the heavily populated regions of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, stretching all the way to Shandong and Henan, where the smog often did not disperse for days on end. The severe outbreaks of smog in North-East Region of China and the Yangtze River Delta areas also had a huge impact locally, making blue skies seem just as unattainable as ever. So how do we get back to having blue skies? In a report published by the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) in December 2011 we put forward a step by step roadmap to get us to that target of blue skies. The roadmap consisted of the following steps: publish monitoring data, formulate and implement emergency measures, understand pollution sources, and reduce emissions from key enterprises. In 2013, China made important progress in terms of information disclosure and emergency planning, which created an opportunity for a historically important breakthrough in understanding pollution sources, which is a crucial step in the roadmap. Through our Air Quality Information Transparency Index (AQTI) evaluation, which evaluated how comprehensive, timely, complete and user friendly the disclosure of information on air quality was, we found that the level of disclosure in over 100 Chinese cities had continued to substantially increase. The average score of 21.5 points in the 2012 evaluation had increased to 58.8 points in As of January 2 nd, 2014 a total of 179 cities have started real time disclosure of air quality data and residents can use their computer or smartphone to access this information. Real-time disclosure has highlighted the severity of pollution, which in turn has prompted many regions to formulate emergency plans for times when the smog is particularly severe. During times when these emergency measures are implemented schools stop outdoor activities and enterprises are forced to reduce their emissions, which are key measures that help to protect the health of the general public and prevent the pollution worsening. We found that after a fairly long run-in period these measures had started to be implemented during periods of severe smog. However, because of a lack of public reporting on the measures it s often difficult to determine how effectively they are being carried out and implemented. Publishing monitoring data and emergency contingency plans are of course very important; however, to get our blue skies back large scale emissions reduction must be implemented, and for emissions reduction to take place we must first identify the major sources of pollution. Through data analysis our report concludes that current pollution has obvious regional characteristics. Therefore, the understanding of pollution sources must also be expanded to regional analysis, rather than just individual cities. The areas of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, as well as the Yangtze River Delta, have many energy intensive industries that consume large amounts of coal and generate huge amounts of pollution emissions. In order to reduce emissions, discharge from this group of big emitting enterprises must first of all be controlled. 1

5 We believe that to fully understand and control regional pollution sources we must take the principle behind the disclosure of PM 2.5 data and extend this to pollution source information disclosure. Since the Yabuli Entrepreneurs Forum in February 2013, environmental NGOs and entrepreneurial groups have been pushing for pollution source information disclosure, and have received active and official responses from both Beijing and Hebei. Furthermore, on July 30 th, 2013, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) issued regulations requiring each province in China to set up a platform to publish real-time online monitoring data. Real-time disclosure of online monitoring data is most advanced in Shandong, Zhejiang and Hebei Provinces. We believe that the good practice shown in Shandong, Zhejiang and Hebei Provinces helps fulfil the public s right to know, and also helps to identify the main pollution sources within that geographical region. However, online disclosure platforms in other important provinces and municipalities, such as Tianjin, Guangdong and Hunan, have not been published as required, which is regrettable. From preliminary analysis of this online data, we found that in provinces such as Shandong and Hebei in the North of China, a group of large scale thermal power plants and steel factories had emissions that were in serious breach of discharge standards. Even when the local area was experiencing a period of severe pollution, some of these enterprises were continuing to breach discharge standards almost every hour. The direct impact of these variations in discharge volumes from main pollution sources deserves further discussion. Real-time disclosure helps in understanding the pollution sources located in a particular region. By comparing online data, we found that the level of industrial pollution source emissions varied significantly from region to region. Looking at the emissions from some of the major enterprises in Shandong, Hebei and Beijing for the period October to December 2013, nitrogen oxide (NO x) emission volumes for eight major pollution sources in Shandong, and eight in Hebei, were respectively 37 and 30 times greater than the emissions from eight main pollution sources in Beijing for the same period. This shows that these pollution sources should be the focus for emissions reductions. It should be noted that Shandong province has already brought forward the implementation of stricter emission standards for key industries like thermal power and steel production, and Hebei has also recently implemented new stricter standards for the steel industry. However, key provincial and municipal emission standards in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Liaoning Provinces, as well as emission standards for thermal power production and cement factories in Hebei Province, and NO x standards in Tianjin Municipality, have yet to be made more stringent. Even though there is less than a year before new national emission standards for power and iron and steel industries are implemented, many companies are still not fully prepared. Whether or not these companies can reach the national standards within six months is a worry. The widespread smog that engulfed China in 2013 has helped to push forward an aggressive government action plan. On September 10 th, the State Council issued the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Action Plan, which through 10 measures (hereafter referred to as the Ten National 2

6 Measures), aims to distinctly improve air quality over a five year period and over a further five years completely eliminate periods of severe smog. We believe that when faced with so many sources of emissions, we must focus on where best to reduce these emissions, and this should start with the control of pollution from industrial and coal fired enterprises. Through our research we found that if some enterprises in key regions like Shandong and Hebei were to comply with discharge standards, including the new standards to come in within the next year, then their NO x emission volumes would be significantly reduced. It s difficult to escape the fact that the Ten National Measures, and regional efforts to reduce emissions, will touch on powerful vested interests, so the challenge in implementing them should not be underestimated. All parties interested in the control of atmospheric pollution cannot sit idly by, which is why we call on government, courts, enterprises, media, environmental organizations, and citizens, to seize the historic opportunity created by pollution source information disclosure, and together push for the reduction in pollution emissions, so that the smog that hangs over Chinese cities can be dispersed as quickly as possible. 3

7 In 2013, atmospheric air pollution problems in Chinese cities attracted a lot of attention from the general public. On the one hand over 100 Chinese cities release real-time monitoring data for pollutants like PM 2.5, and central and local government have publicized large scale action plans to reduce emissions. On the other hand, however, air pollution problems are still spreading and a large number of cities still experience periods of severe smog, which is especially bad in the heavily populated regions Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, stretching all the way to Shandong and Henan, where the smog often does not disperse for days on end. The severe outbreaks of smog in Heilongjiang and Jilin, as well as the Yangtze River Delta areas have also had a huge impact locally. Amongst all this smog, the worries and anxieties of residents continues to grow and blue skies seem just as unattainable as before. So what route can we take to get our blue skies back? In China where the process of industrialization and urbanization is ongoing, the control of atmospheric pollution cannot be attained in just one step. In a report released in December 2011 we put forward a step by step roadmap to get us to that target of blue skies. The roadmap consisted of the following steps: publish monitoring data, formulate and implement emergency measures, 1 understand pollution sources, and reduce emissions from key enterprises. Publish Monitoring Data Implement Emergency Measures Identify and Understand Pollution Sources Reduce Emissions from Key Enterprises The four steps of the roadmap in detail are: Step 1: increase air quality information disclosure so that more comprehensive and complete monitoring data is released to the public; Step 2: provide the general public with relevant health alerts, as well as strong emergency measures to alleviate the most severe pollution; Step 3: understand main pollutant emission sources and confirm where the main focus for emissions reduction should be; Step 4: formulate a focused plan and timetable to implement large scale emissions reduction This report aims to compare current progress against the roadmap, identify those key bottlenecks that we need to break through and identify key points so that we can strive quickly towards large scale emissions reduction. 1 In the Phase I Report released in 2011 the second step was referred to as 4

8 1. Rapid Progress on Monitoring Disclosure and Emergency Measures In many regions of China significant progress has been made with monitoring disclosure and emergency measures, which are the first two steps in the roadmap. 1.1 Monitoring Disclosure has Expanded Rapidly Since January 1 st 2013, 74 Chinese cities have been monitoring and publishing concentration and AQI data for the following six pollutants: 2 SO 2 NO 2 PM 10 O 3 CO PM 2.5 According to the Implementation of the Phase II Monitoring Plan under the New Air Quality Standards, by October 31 st 2013, there should have been data available for 449 monitoring points in 116 cities. These points added to the points in the Phase 1 monitoring plan means there is now a total of 945 monitoring points in 190 cities. As of January 2 nd 2014, there were 161 cities publishing hourly concentration values on the MEP National Urban Air Quality Real-time Disclosure Platform, including the 74 cities required to in the Implementation of the Phase I Monitoring Plan under the New Air Quality Standards, and the 87 cities in the Implementation of the Phase II Monitoring Plan under the New Air Quality Standards. Out of 29 county-level cities, 18 have started to disclose monitoring data according to the Phase II requirements and 11 have not yet started. In total 179 cities have started to publish real-time air quality information. The table below shows the status of Phase I and Phase II implementation: Province Table 1 - Phase 1 and Phase II implementation of new air quality standards 3 City Comparison of Implementation of Phase I/Phase II disclosure (As of January 2 nd, 2014) Discloses Yes/No Phase Province City Discloses Yes/No Beijing Beijing Ⅰ Ji nan Ⅰ Shandong Tianjin Tianjin Ⅰ Qingdao Ⅰ Phase 2 The disclosure platform is the China National Environmental Monitoring Center. Except for Xinjiang and Shanxi, 31 provincial, municipal, and autonomous regions all have their own disclosure platform. 3 On January 15 th, 2014, the Yantai EPB contacted the IPE to discuss the disclosure of air quality information for county level cities. It was found that on January 15 th county cities including Penglai, Laizhou and Zhaoyuan were releasing real-time air quality data. We have therefore added this footnote. 5

9 Province City Comparison of Implementation of Phase I/Phase II disclosure (As of January 2 nd, 2014) Discloses Yes/No Phase Province City Discloses Yes/No Shanghai Shanghai Ⅰ Zibo Ⅱ Chongqing Chongqing Ⅰ Zaozhuang Ⅱ Hebei Shanxi Inner Mongolia Liaoning Jilin Heilongjiang Shijiazhuang Ⅰ Yantai Ⅱ Tangshan Ⅰ Weifang Ⅱ Qinhuangdao Ⅰ Ji ning Ⅱ Handan Ⅰ Taian Ⅱ Baoding Ⅰ Rizhao Ⅱ Chengde Ⅰ Dongying Ⅱ Cangzhou Ⅰ Weihai Ⅱ Hengshui Ⅰ Laiwu Ⅱ Xingtai Ⅰ Linyi Ⅱ Zhangjiakou Ⅰ Dezhou Ⅱ Langfang Ⅰ Liaocheng Ⅱ Taiyuan Ⅰ Binzhou Ⅱ Datong Ⅱ Heze Ⅱ Changzhi Ⅱ Rongcheng Ⅱ Linfen Ⅱ Wendeng Ⅱ Yangquan Ⅱ Rushan Ⅱ Huhhot Ⅰ Jimo Ⅱ Baotou Ⅱ Laixi Ⅱ Ordos Ⅱ Pingdu Ⅱ Chifeng Ⅱ Jiaonan Ⅱ Shenyang Ⅰ Jiaozhou Ⅱ Dalian Ⅰ Shouguang Ⅱ Dandong Ⅱ Laizhou Ⅱ Yingkou Ⅱ Zhaoyuan Ⅱ Panjin Ⅱ Penglai Ⅱ Phase Huludao Ⅱ Zhangqiu Ⅱ Anshan Ⅱ Zhengzhou Ⅰ Fushun Ⅱ Pingdingshan Ⅱ Benxi Ⅱ Sanmenxia Ⅱ Jinzhou Ⅱ Henan Luoyang Ⅱ Wafangdian Ⅱ Anyang Ⅱ Changchun Ⅰ Kaifeng Ⅱ Jilin Ⅱ Jiaozuo Ⅱ Harbin Ⅰ Wuhan Ⅰ Qiqihaer Ⅱ Hubei Yichang Ⅱ Daqing Ⅱ Jinzhou Ⅱ 6

10 Province Jiangsu Zhejiang City Comparison of Implementation of Phase I/Phase II disclosure (As of January 2 nd, 2014) Discloses Yes/No Mudanjiang Ⅱ Phase Province City Discloses Yes/No Phase Changsha Ⅰ Nanjing Ⅰ Zhuzhou Ⅱ Suzhou Ⅰ Xiangtan Ⅱ Hunan Wuxi Ⅰ Changde Ⅱ Changzhou Ⅰ Zhangjiajie Ⅱ Yangzhou Ⅰ Yueyang Ⅱ Zhenjiang Ⅰ Guangzhou Ⅰ Nantong Ⅰ Shenzhen Ⅰ Taizhou Ⅰ Zhuhai Ⅰ Xuzhou Ⅰ Foshan Ⅰ Lianyungang Ⅰ Jiangmen Ⅰ Huaian Ⅰ Dongguan Ⅰ Yancheng Ⅰ Zhongshan Ⅰ Suqian Ⅰ Huizhou Ⅰ Wujiang Ⅱ Zhaoqing Ⅰ Kunshan Ⅱ Shaoguan Ⅱ Changshu Ⅱ Guangdong Shantou Ⅱ Zhangjiagang Ⅱ Heyuan Ⅱ Taicang Ⅱ Qingyuan Ⅱ Jurong Ⅱ Zhanjiang Ⅱ Jiangyin Ⅱ Maoming Ⅱ Yixing Ⅱ Meizhou Ⅱ Jintan Ⅱ Shanwei Ⅱ Liyang Ⅱ Yangjiang Ⅱ Haimen Ⅱ Chaozhou Ⅱ Hangzhou Ⅰ Jieyang Ⅱ Ningbo Ⅰ Yunfu Ⅱ Huzhou Ⅰ Nanning Ⅰ Jiaxing Ⅰ Beihai Ⅱ Guangxi Shaoxing Ⅰ Liuzhou Ⅱ Zhoushan Ⅰ Guilin Ⅱ Wenzhou Ⅰ Haikou Ⅰ Hainan Jinhua Ⅰ Sanya Ⅱ Quzhou Ⅰ Chengdu Ⅰ Taizhou Ⅰ Mianyang Ⅱ Lishui Ⅰ Sichuan Yibin Ⅱ Lin an Ⅱ Panzhihua Ⅱ Fuyang Ⅱ Luzhou Ⅱ 7

11 Province Anhui Fujian Jiangxi City Comparison of Implementation of Phase I/Phase II disclosure (As of January 2 nd, 2014) Discloses Yes/No Phase Province City Discloses Yes/No Zhuji Ⅱ Zigong Ⅱ Yiwu Ⅱ Deyang Ⅱ Phase Hefei Ⅰ Nanchong Ⅱ Wuhu Ⅱ Guiyang Ⅰ Guizhou Maanshang Ⅱ Zunyi Ⅱ Fuzhou Ⅰ Kunming Ⅰ Xiamen Ⅰ Yunnan Yuxi Ⅱ Quanzhou Ⅱ Qujing Ⅱ Nanchang Ⅰ Xi an Ⅰ Jiujiang Ⅱ Xianyang Ⅱ Tibet Lhasa Ⅰ Tongchuan Ⅱ Shanxi Lanzhou Ⅰ Yan an Ⅱ Gansu Jiayuguang Ⅱ Baoji Ⅱ Jinchang Ⅱ Weinan Ⅱ Qinghai Xining Ⅰ Urumchi Ⅰ Ningxia Yinchuan Ⅰ Xinjiang Karamay Ⅱ Shizuishan Ⅱ Korla Ⅱ The IPE conducted an evaluation of 113 Chinese Environmental Protection Cities in accordance with the Air Quality Transparency Index evaluation methodology to determine how complete, timely, comprehensive and user friendly their disclosure of air quality information was. The table below compares the results of the 2012 and 2013 AQTI evaluation. 4 Table 2 - AQTI rankings for 113 cities Rank City 2013 Score 2012 Score Rank City 2013 Score 2012 Score 1 Beijing Xi ning Dongguan Yinchuan Nanjing Changzhi Suzhou Shantou Chongqing Hohhot Dalian Shenyang Ningbo Changchun Jiaxing Yancheng Qingdao Nanchang Guangzhou Changsha The cut-off date for 2013 evaluation data was January 1 st,

12 Rank City 2013 Score 2012 Score Rank City 2013 Score 2012 Score 11 Tianjin Xiangtan Hangzhou Urumchi Wenzhou Datong Shaoxing Yangquan Fuzhou Linfen Yantai Beihai Wuhan Baotou Chengdu Maanshan Kunming Quanzhou Xiamen Shaoguan Ji nan Liuzhou Shanghai Guilin Taizhou Mianyang Changzhou Yibin Nantong Baoji Lianyungang Xianyang Yichang Ordos Huzhou Anshan Zibo Tongchuan Zaozhuang Yan an Weifang Wuhu Jining Jingzhou Taian Jinzhou Weihai Chifeng Rizhao Fushun Xian Benxi Foshan Jinlin Shenzhen Qiqihaer Zhuhai Daqing Zhongshan Mudanjiang Taiyuan Jiujiang Zhengzhou Luoyang Kaifeng Pingdingshan Shijiazhuang Anyang Tangshan Jiaozuo Qinhuangdao Yueyang Handan Changde Baoding Zhangjiajie Harbin Zhanjiang Wuxi Panzhihua Xuzhou Luzhou Yangzhou Zunyi

13 Rank City 2013 Score 2012 Score Rank City 2013 Score 2012 Score 44 Hefei Qujing Zhuzhou Jinchang Nanning Shizuishan Guiyang Karamay Lanzhou By comparing the scores for both years we can see that air quality information disclosure in China has rapidly increased. For example the average October 2013 evaluation score is much higher than that for Figure , 2013 AQTI average score comparison 1.2 Real-time Disclosure Facilitates Greater Public Access to Information Many regions employ user friendly maps to publish data making it easier for the general public to access information. The Guangdong disclosure platform uses different colors which not only shows data for monitoring points in cities but also lets the public understand regional data. 10

14 Figure 2 Guangdong Province disclosure platform map 5 Hebei has an image showing the Figure 3 Hebei Province automatic disclosure system 6 The Environmental Protection Bureaus in Beijing and Shanghai launched mobile apps making it easy for people to access data on the move. 5 Widgets.Pm25Widget

15 Figure 4 Beijing air quality smartphone APP (left), and the Shanghai air quality smartphone APP (right) The disclosure of official data, especially data made available for download has really helped stimulate public participation. Figure 5 National air quality smartphone APP 12

16 The real-time disclosure of monitoring data, especially through mobile communications, means that the public can quickly and conveniently access local air quality information. This means that urban residents can make rational and informed decisions about taking part in outdoor activities, and so can reduce the harm that smog can cause to them. 1.3 Real-time Disclosure Highlights the Severity of Pollution Problems The real-time publishing of discharge data means that the general public can immediately understand the state of air quality. The screenshot below shows the China National Environmental Monitoring Center s national urban air quality real-time disclosure platform. By clicking on the map the public can check the 24 hr. AQI value, and the hourly concentration value for six pollutants, as well as 24 hr. emissions trends. Figure 6 - China National Environmental Monitoring Center s national urban air quality real-time disclosure platform Real-time disclosure shows that the level of pollution in some regions is extremely high. The screenshot below is for 5 am on December 25 th, 2013 and shows severe levels of pollution in the main regions and cities of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, and Henan. Furthermore, the monitoring site at Xingtai Normal College in Xingtai shows the concentration of PM 2.5 to be 1000 μg/m 3. 13

17 Figure 7 Graph showing air quality at the Xingtai Normal College monitoring site in Xingtai Publication of monitoring data in accordance with the new air quality standards has meant that air quality data more accurately reflects the severity of air pollution. Statistics from the MEP show that in 2012, 74 cities had Good Days 92.1% of the time. However, in the first half of 2013, the rate of good days in the 74 cities had fallen to 54.8% so they were failing this standard 45.2% of the time. 7 There were only four cities, Zhoushan, Huizhou, Haikou and Lhasa whose PM 2.5 concentrations were equal to or better than the annual Level II Air Quality Standard (35μg/m 3 ). Figure 8 Comparison of average PM 2.5 concentrations in the first half of

18 Every month the MEP releases a list of the cities with the worst air quality. 8 The 10 cities with the worst monthly AQIs from Jan - Nov 2013 are shown below: Table 3 The 10 cities with the worst monthly AQIs from Jan - Nov 2013 January February March April May June July August September October November 1 Xingtai Shijiazhuang Tangshan Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang Tangshan Tangshan 邢台 邢台 Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang 2 Shijiazhuang Xingtai Shijiazhuang Xingtai Tangshan Shijiazhuang Handan Tangshan Shijiazhuang Xingtai Baoding 3 Baoding Baoding Xi an Tangshan Xingtai Xingtai Shijiazhuang Shijiazhuang Tangshan Baoding Xingtai 4 Handan Xi an Chengdu Handan Handan Handan Ji nan Ji nan Handan Handan Tangshan 5 Weifang Handan Xingtai Xi an Jinan Baoding Xingtai Handan Ji nan Tangshan Handan 6 Hengshui Urumchi Baoding Baoding Baoding Hengshui Tianjin Tianjin Hengshui Ji nan Ji nan 7 Ji nan Ji nan Xi ning Ji nan Zhengzhou Ji nan Baoding Hengshui Baoding Harbin Taiyuan 8 Tangshan Hengshui Handan Xi ning Beijing Tianjin Lanzhou Xi an Weifang Hengshui Weifang 9 Beijing Tangshan Weifang Taiyuan Hengshui Zhengzhou Zhengzhou Baoding Tianjin Xi an Urumchi 10 Zhengzhou Zhengzhou Taiyuan Zhengzhou Tianjin Taiyuan Hengshui Weifang Xi an Wuhan Hengshui Note: The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measure of the overall air quality and is a dimensionless value. The index takes into account the levels of SO 2, NO 2, PM 10, PM 2.5, CO, and O 3. The higher the AQI score is the more sever the overall level of pollution

19 The prompt disclosure of monitoring data makes it possible for anyone to carry out data analysis. Using data from the environmental authorities, Greenpeace calculated a PM 2.5 concentration ranking table for the 74 cities. Table 4 - PM 2.5 concentration ranking table for 74 cities across China (created by Greenpeace) 1.4 Emergency Measures Because the process of bringing atmospheric air pollution under control requires a fairly long time period, health warnings and emergency measures are extremely important. 9 During this period the level of atmospheric air pollution can still be relatively high and can still result in serious pollution. Therefore, health warnings must be used to reduce people s exposure to the pollution and thus the damage it can do to their health. Emergency measures should also be used to prevent 9 For example, according to the Beijing Atmospheric Pollution Control Plan, using 2010 valuues as a base, by 2015 PM2.5 concentrations are planned to be reduced by 15%, 30% by 2020 and only by will they reach the international standard of having an annual average of 35μg /m 3. 16

20 pollution becoming even more severe at times of unfavorable weather conditions Many Regions have already Implemented Emergency Measures In April 2013, the MEP released the Guidelines on Formulating Emergency Measures for times when Urban Atmospheric Pollution is Severe, which provided guidance to local governments in prefecture level cities and above on how to formulate emergency measures for times when atmospheric pollution was particularly severe. Following this, cities in the regions of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shaanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Guangdong, Hubei, Sichuan, and Shanxi issued emergency measures. Judged against the MEP guidelines, each key city has implemented emergency measures as follows: 17

21 Table 5 Emergency measures in different cities for times of sever pollution City Shanghai Wuhan Chengdu Xi an Beijing Shijiazhuang Taiyuan Tianjin Ji nan Guangzhou Emergency Plan Classification Announcement / Effective Date Remind the vulnerable to minimize or to avoid outdoor activities Schools and kindergartens should avoid Protective Measures outdoor activities or be closed Minimize or suspend open-air events Propose vacations or flexible work arrangements for employees Travel less or take public transport Increase the sprinkling frequency on construction sites Advisory Pollution Increase the road sweeping frequency Control Policies Polluters should decrease their emissions Regulate and reduce setting off fireworks Shut off the engine when parking Mandatory Vehicle Selectively extend traffic restrictions Pollution emission Even-odd license plate plan Control reduction Policies measures Reduce official vehicles on the road by 30% 18

22 City Shanghai Wuhan Chengdu Xi an Beijing Shijiazhuang Taiyuan Tianjin Ji nan Guangzhou Industrial emission reduction measures Dust control measures Other measures Limit or halt production of relevant factories Forbid family-style factories to use coalfired boilers Increase the frequency of supervision Renovate the polluters violating mandatory policies Stop demolishing buildings Reduce the scale of earth excavation Introduce dust suppression or covering for material piles on construction sites Increase the frequency of sprinkling on the bare ground of construction sites Increase the frequency of sweeping and sprinkling on the roads Claim the stacking requirements for the coal and cinder Open-air straw burning should be banned in and around cities Asphalt melting should be banned Restaurants without cooking fume purification should be temporarily closed Outdoor barbecues should be banned 19

23 1.4.2 To Deal with Severe Air Pollution Many Cities have Activated Emergency Plans for Periods of Serious Pollution After a long run-in period, we see that many areas have started to implement emergency measures in accordance with their contingency plans during periods of severe pollution. For example, during the nine day period from December 16th to 24th, 45 cities experienced severe or worse than severe pollution. At the time, to reduce the effects of air pollution on people's health as much as possible, the MEP required every local government to increase the intensity of air quality information disclosure, respond actively to public needs, and promptly implement emergency plans drawn-up for periods of severe pollution. According to statistics from the MEP, local emergency measures that have been taken in clude: 10 Beijing Municipality Activated the Level IV blue warning for severe pollution Warned primary school and kindergarten pupils to reduce outdoor activities Tianjin Municipality Activated the Level III warning for severe pollution Shut down the production of some blast furnaces and stopped all rock excavation and backfilling Suspended the collective outdoor activities of students and advocated green travel Hebei Province Shijiazhuang City Activated the Level II warning for severe pollution Strengthened supervision of enterprise emissions and increased the penalty for secret discharge and discharging in breach of the standard Restricted some motor vehicle use Xingtai City Activated the Level II warning for severe pollution Limited emissions from industrial enterprises by 30% or more, closed coal-fired industrial boilers of less than 20 tons Stopped construction on construction and demolition sites

24 Restricted motor vehicles by the odd/even license plate policy, road cleaning Stopped outdoor activities for primary and secondary schools and kindergarten students Handan City Activated the Level III warning for severe pollution Restricted motor vehicle use Suggested that the public reduce outdoor activities and working times Kept indoor air conditioning temperatures no higher than 19 in office of party and government organs, as well as enterprises and public institutions Turned off landscaping lights to reduce energy consumption Hengshui City Activated the Level II warning for severe pollution Temporarily limited the production and emission of industrial enterprises, closed coal-fired industrial boilers under 20 tons Stopped construction at construction sites and stopped operations at concrete mixing stations Stopped the use of 80% of party and government office cars, as well as enterprises and public institutions; restricted motor vehicle by odd/even license plate policy Henan Province Zhengzhou City Activated the Level II warning for severe pollution Reduced outdoor activities for primary and secondary schools and kindergarten students Warned the public to reduce outdoor activities and working times Shaanxi Province Xi'an City Activated the serious air pollution emergency response measure Stopped outdoor activities of primary and secondary schools and kindergarten students Stopped concrete mixing stations from operating Restricted motor vehicle use 21

25 1.4.3 Key Emergency Measures Need to be Implemented Measures that force schools to stop outdoor activities and enterprises to reduce emissions are key to protecting public health and preventing pollution from worsening. However, in many areas that have started to implement emergency measures, the implementation of emergency measures to reduce emissions is often lacking The following table shows what we believe to be the importance, possible problems and recommendations for implementing measures in the emergency plans: Table 6 - Importance, possible problems and recommendations for implementing measures in the emergency plans Emergency Measure Importance Possible Problems in Implementation Recommendations Health Stopping outdoor Helps protect the Whether or not there Every level in the Protection activities at health of vulnerable is close cooperation educational system Measures Schools and groups between the should establish a Kindergartens educational system communication (including mechanism with the departments of environmental and education and school meteorological teachers) and the departments, where environmental and they promptly release meteorological a list of schools and departments. kindergartens where outdoor activities should be stopped. Measures to Reduce the use of Reducing official No effective way of After the emergency reduce Motor official motor vehicles helps build identifying license measures have been Vehicle vehicles by 30%. credibility with the plates so public activated a list of the emissions public and leads to a supervision is not license plate numbers reduction in vehicle easy. and work units of exhaust emissions. restricted cars should be published. 22

26 Emergency Measure Importance Possible Problems in Implementation Recommendations Measures to Relevant Industry and coal The number of Authorities should Reduce enterprises should fired plants are the enterprises is very release a list of Emissions from stop or reduce biggest emissions large and they are enterprises that have Industry production to sources in many widely distributed so been required to stop reduce emissions. cities. it s not easy for the or limit production public to determine if and they should also Punish those they have limited release real-time on- polluting production to reduce line monitoring data companies who their emissions. to determine if the have not followed enterprise has the mandatory reduced their reduction plan to emissions to the rate stop or reduce required. 11 production. Should publish a list of enterprises that have failed to comply and those that have received penalties. 11 Those enterprises without automatic monitoring can provide manual monitoring data. 23

27 2. From Real-time PM 2.5 Disclosure to Real time Pollution Source Information Disclosure Publishing monitoring data and putting in place contingency plans is of course important, but it s clear that the public are not satisfied with just understanding what days they should be wearing face masks, or what days their children should not be playing outside. Reduction of emissions must be the long term goal in which passive behavior can change to active solutions. For a reduction of emissions to take place we must first understand the sources of those emissions. 2.1 Understanding Pollution Sources The Regional Characteristics of Atmospheric Air Pollution and Pollution Discharge Sources By looking at external research and our own observations we found that there are three main differences between air pollution in China and air pollution in other countries: Smog can cover multiple provinces creating large areas of regional based pollution; Smog can be formed from the combination of coal burning and vehicle exhaust fumes; Urban pollution that is typical in developed countries, industrial pollution that occurs in emerging market countries, and agricultural and domestic pollution that is typical in developing countries, all coexist within China. Out of the three points mentioned above, the first illustrates the most striking difference between China and other countries. Since 2011, when large scale smog events have occurred they have covered large areas and affected a large group of people, which has rarely been seen in the past. Extent of Pollution In January 2013, China experienced continuous and prolonged periods of smoggy weather. This smog touched on 17 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, covered more than one quarter of China s land mass, and affected a total of approximately 600 million people Smog at the start of this year covered one quarter of China s land mass and affected a total of 600 million people, Beijing Evening News, October 29 th,

28 Figure 9 No. of smoggy days in the period January 7 th 13 th At the start of December 2013, smog events had a serious impact on the Yangtze River Delta Region. Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, as well as central and southern Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong, central eastern Henan, eastern Hubei, north-eastern Hunan, northern Jiangxi, central Anhui, and the western and south east part of the Sichuan Basin, were affected by between 6-7 days of smog. Figure 10 - No. of smoggy days in the period December 2 nd 8 th, Smog that has been Wreaking Havoc on 17 Provinces for 16 Continuous Days Starts to Ease, Xinhua, January 14 th, 2013, eedtop 25

29 The effects of this smog event can be seen on the satellite image below released by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on December 7 th, The bright white area shows cloud cover and the darker grey colored area shows the area affected by pollution. From the satellite image we can see that the pollution stretched approximately 1200km from north to south and covered an area of land that included Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and the Yangtze River Delta. On December 6 th, average daily PM 2.5 readings for Beijing and Shanghai were 125μg/m 3 and 461μg/m 3 respectively. On December 7 th the readings for Beijing and Shanghai were 248μg/m 3 and 167μg/m 3 respectively, 15 which is way higher than the WHO s 24-hour mean guideline of 25μg/m Figure 11 Satellite image showing smog covering China released by NASA on December 7th 17 Smog also covered a large area from mid to late December. For nine days between the 16 th and 24 th, 45 cities experienced heavy, or very heavy pollution. Amongst these, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and Hengshui suffered nine continuous days of severe or worse pollution. The main pollutants were PM 2.5 and PM html

30 Table 7 - Cities with high pollution levels from 2013/12/16 to 2013/12/24 18 No. of days with high Cities pollution levels 9 Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, Hengshui 8 Harbin, Xi an, Wuhan, Handan, Baodin 7 Zhengzhou 6 Changchun, Hefei, Huaian 5 Shenyang, Changsha, Cangzhou, Langfang 4 Tianjin, Ji nan, Taiyuan 3 Nanjing, Nanning, Lianyungang, Xuzhou, Suqian Figure 12 - No. of smoggy days in the period December 20 th 25 th, The Pollution Showed Regional Characteristics From preliminary analysis of the data for a number of periods of heavy pollution in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, as well as the Yangtze River Delta, we can see that the air pollution situation for each of the regions showed definite levels of trans-boundary connectedness and synchronicity. 18 A Number of Cities in China have suffered Serious Air Pollution, MEP, December 24 th, 2013,

31 Shanghai Nanjing Nantong Yancheng Hangzhou Ningbo Figure 13 December 24-hour mean concentrations of PM 2.5 in key cities in the Yangtze River Delta (μg/m 3 ) Beijing Tianjin Shijiazhuang Xingtai Baoding Tangshan Figure 14 December 24-hour mean concentrations of PM 2.5 in key cities in the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Region (μg/m 3 ) 28

32 Regional Characteristics of Emission Sources Regional pollution formed in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, as well as the Yangtze River Delta, comes not only from changing patterns of diffusion conditions, but also from the transmission of regional trans-boundary pollution. According to Professor Hao Jiming, who is a fellow at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University, in his research on controlling atmospheric pollution, regional SO 2 emissions were responsible for 80% of sulfate in Beijing and 40% of sulfate in Shanghai. Furthermore, regional NO x emissions were responsible for 50% of nitrate in both Beijing and Shanghai. 20 Figure 15 Results of Professor Hao Jiming s research into regional atmospheric pollution When looking at regional pollution conditions it is not sufficient to just analyze a particular city s own pollution discharge as regional pollution sources must also be analyzed and understood. Recently, a group headed by Zhang Renjian at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Science released a paper discussing some of the potential pollution problems that can affect air quality in Beijing. However, this part of the study was largely ignored by the public who instead concentrated on the controversial conclusions of the paper that stated that automobile exhaust only plays a very small role in Beijing s air pollution problems. The study uses a Potential Source Contribution Factor (PSCF) method of analysis to extrapolate potential pollution sources that can affect air quality. PSCF is an analysis method based on the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model. The whole of the study area is divided into a uniform grid and the PSCF value for each grid square calculated by comparing the pollution trajectory figure for that grid square and the total trajectory figure. A high PSCF value indicates that the probability that the pollution source in that grid square contributes to the target 20 Annual meeting of the China Council for international cooperation on environment and Development, Research on the Control of Regional Atmospheric Air Pollution, December th,

33 location. 21 We have blown-up the Beijing PSCF area diagram for annual average sulfate and nitrates as shown in the report. The purple areas show that the PSCF value was close to zero and blue, green and red areas show that the probability of potential pollution sources is steadily increasing. Sulfate and nitrate aerosols are two types of secondary particulate pollutants and their potential sources can be seen to have similar distribution. Most of the potential sources are stretched out towards the south east, south and south west of Beijing covering the areas of Tianjin, central and south east Hebei and up to the areas adjacent to Hebei and Shandong. This means that the SO 2 and NO x produced in these areas are transformed into secondary pollutants sulfates, nitrates and ammonium after being discharge into the atmosphere where they can be transported by air currents and affect the air quality in Beijing. Figure 16 Diagrams showing probability of sources of sulfates and nitrates in Beijing s PM2.5 particulates Industrial Sources are the Major Source of Regional Emissions Faced with so many sources of atmospheric pollution we must understand the key ones. In the Phase I Blue Sky Roadmap Report we analyzed coal combustion and industrial emissions sources and found that they accounted for a high share of total emissions. According to data from the Annual Statistical Reports on the Environment in China, 21 Liu Na, Yu Ye, Chen Jinbei, Lanzhou Springtime Sand Storms PM10 Transportation routes and Potential Source Areas, Transactions of Atmospheric Sciences, 2012, 35(4):

34 industrial SO 2 emissions account for 84-91% of total national SO 2 emissions and industrial NO x emissions account for % of total national NOx emissions. Furthermore, industrial fume emissions account for % of total national fume emissions. Figure sources of major air pollutants 22 Note: Pollution from centralized pollution treatment facilities including domestic garbage treatment plants, hazardous waste (medical waste) treatment plants and discharge of combustion emissions from factories Research on key regions has also shown that industrial sources are also an important contributor to local pollution emissions. Using the areas of China where smog is most severe, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, as an example, a report by Professor He Kebin from the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, titled, Characteristics of PM 2.5 in the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Areas and Measures for its Control, came to the conclusion that the primary and secondary pollutants that made up PM 2.5 in the area mainly came from industrial pollution sources. 22 Annual Statistical Reports on the Environment in Chin, p , table 10, section

35 Figure 18 Sources of primary PM 2.5 emissions Figure 19 Contribution of different sectors to secondary PM 2.5 precursor gasses The consumption of coal in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and the surrounding area is very high and industry is structured in a poor way, so atmospheric air pollution is therefore extremely severe. Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, as well as surrounding areas use 1.5 billion tons of coal per year, accounting for 43% of the national total. Thermal power installed is 220 million kilowatts, which accounts for 30% of the national total. Steel and coke production capacity is 500 million tons and 300 million tons respectively, which accounts for 50% of national capacity. Atmospheric pollutant emissions from Shandong, Hebei and Shanxi, are ranked No.1, No. 2 and No.5 nationally Air Quality Report for regional, municipal and provincial cities in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta for the first half of 2013, China National Environmental Monitoring Center, July 9 th,

36 Furthermore, in the areas around the Yangtze River Delta that have recently also experienced severe smog, industrial emissions also make up significant part of the problem. Contrary to common belief, the Yangtze River Delta area s industrial consumption of coal is very high and coal is the main source of fuel. The consumption of coal by industry in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai is 256 million tons, 148 million tons and million tons respectively. Thermal power production is the biggest consumer using almost 300 million tons. Table 8 Coal consumption in the Yangtze River Delta Area 24 Province Industrial Coal Consumption (10 4 ton) Fuel Coal Consumption (10 4 ton) Jiangsu Zhejiang Shanghai Total Thermal power Coal Consumption(10 4 ton) The makeup of energy and industry in the Yangtze River Delta creates a huge amount of SO 2, NO x and fume discharge. Professor He Kebin s study found that the unit area discharge intensity of primary particulate pollutants, and precursor gasses for secondary particulate pollutants in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta were substantially higher than in other parts of the country. Primary pollutant discharge in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei was particularly high and the discharge of precursor gasses for secondary pollutants in the Yangtze River Delta was extremely prominent. Figure 20 - Discharge intensity of primary particulate pollutants, and precursor gasses for Annual Statistical Reports on the Environment in China, P.61 and P

37 secondary particulate pollutants in different areas of China 25 The Management of Coal Combustion and Industrial Sources must be a Priority Coal combustion and industrial sources generate a massive volume of emissions; however, unlike transport and domestic sources their discharge points are fixed and there are clear laws and standards, so supervision should be relatively easy. Fixed Discharge Outlets Discharge Standards are Clear Industrial sources often have very obvious and fixed discharge outlets. Compared to the millions of non-point source pollution source like transportation and agriculture, industrial point source targets are clear and so government and societal supervision are relatively easy. There can be found clear and specific emission standards for industrial air pollutants for the following industries: thermal power, coke, cement, coal-mining, ceramics, glass-making, iron & steel making, rolling, iron alloy, iron ore selection, brick making, coke chemical and electro-glass industry Industrial Sources that should be Focused on Industrial pollution sources number in the hundred thousand so there must be a focus for effective emissions reduction. In the Phase I Blue Sky Roadmap Report we suggested that the focus should be on those companies included in the list of Key State Monitored Enterprises for Air Emissions, published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. In 2013 the MEP released an updated list. According to the evaluation criteria from the MEP, if an enterprise is included on the list as an air emissions source then it means that: It is in the top 65% of industrial emitters nationally for industrial SO 2, NO x or fume emissions volume; It is in the top 50% of industrial emissions generators nationally for industrial SO 2, NO x or fumes generated; If the volume of major pollutants produced or discharged reaches the threshold shown in the table below From Reconstructing Blue Skies: An International Forum on Air Quality Management Professor He Kebin s Characteristics of PM 2.5 in the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Areas and Measures for its Control, November 16 th, Minimum thresholds for main state monitored pollutants for wastewater, air emissions and heavy metals were determined according to the 2011 Environmental Statistical Database. Companies generating and discharging main pollutants were listed in descending order and the 34

38 Figure 9 - Minimum thresholds for main pollutant emission and production volumes 27 Type Pollutant Emission V olume Production Vol ume SO 2 (ton/year) Air Emissions NO x (ton/year) Fume (ton/year) 400 Most of these pollution source enterprises come from the thermal power, cement, steel, and chemicals industries. According to research conducted by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), included in the 2013 list of Key state Monitored Enterprises are 968 combined heat and power generation plants, accounting for 23.11% of the total number of Key State Monitored Enterprises listed for Air Emissions. Thermal power generation, cement manufacturing, the iron and steel smelting industry, chemical industry and non-ferrous metallurgy industry account for 873, 420, 388, 254 and 246 enterprises respectively. Cement manufacturing, 10.03% Coking, 3.25% Oil refining and processing, 2.17% Non-ferrous metallurgy, 5.87% Chemical industry, 6.06% Paper manufacturing, 3.46% Iron and steel smelting industry, Heat production, 9.26% 2.10% Sugar industry, 2.94% Other, 13.01% Combined heat and power generation, 21.01% Thermal power generation, 20.84% Figure 21 - Breakdown of air polluters in the list by industry As of January 10 th, 2014, the IPE, NGO partners, and volunteers had positioned a total of 2506 Key State Monitored Enterprises listed for Air Emissions, 59.9% of the total of 4181 listed for The screenshot below shows the location of these Key State Monitored Enterprises listed for air emissions. It s possible to see that many of air emission source enterprises are largely concentrated in the densely populated areas of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, and the surrounding provinces of Shandong, Shanxi, Henan and the Yangtze River Delta. 27 Env. Notice [2012] No regarding the updating of the 2013 list of key state monitored enterprises, Office of the MEP, December 13,

39 Figure 22 Screenshot of a map on the IPE website showing the position of 2013 key state monitored enterprises listed for air emissions Towards Real-time Disclosure of Pollution Source Information To control regional pollution there must be a large scale reduction of pollution emissions in that region. For this reduction in emissions to take place we must first understand what the sources are. We can then, borrowing from the successful experiences of western industrialized countries, locate these pollution sources so that the public can participate in their supervision. Therefore, we must expand on the principles of PM 2.5 disclosure and increase this to include pollution source information disclosure. Since 2009, the IPE and NRDC have carried out an annual evaluation of pollution source information disclosure in 113 cities called the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI). 28 The evaluations show that although there has been obvious progress made since 2008, pollution PITI results, 36

40 source information is still extremely limited, scattered, not timely, incomplete, difficult to obtain, and as a result does not motivate enterprises to really reduce their emissions. For this reason, since the Yabuli Entrepreneurs Forum in February 2013, environmental NGOs and entrepreneurial groups have been pushing for pollution source information disclosure. The Importance of Real-time Disclosure Why is real-time disclosure so crucial? Can conquer the lack of enforcement Real-time disclosure greatly increases the cost of local officials interveneing in enforcement Promotes regional collaboration in governance Pollution sources in the region receive supervision from all those areas affacted by the pollution Identifies pollution sources within a region Identify enterprises discharging emissions in breach of discharge standards and identify big emitters during times of adverse weather Pushes from Civil Society has Resulted in Active Responses from Officials On the basis of regulatory requirements, including the Cleaner Production Promotion Law, Disclosure of Government Information and Open Environmental Information (for Trial Implementation), 26 industry and environmental protection organizations including the SEE Foundation, the China Urban Realty Association, Friends of Nature and the IPE jointly released the Total Transparency Initiative on March 28 th, The Total Transparency Initiative requires that annual monitoring, supervision and discharge data for all key state monitored enterprises should be disclosed in a systematic, timely, comprehensive and user friendly way. Based on the need to increase public participation in supervision we recommend starting with the following three points: Key State, Provincial, and Municipal Monitored Pollution Source Enterprises online monitoring data should be published on the internet, and historical data should also be made available; Administrative penalty information and confirmed complaint information on polluting enterprises should be published in a systematic, timely and comprehensive way. Enterprises should regularly publish pollutant discharge data. The scope of the data should include no less than those pollutants identified in the company s environmental impact assessment. The push for more information disclosure from entrepreneurial and environmental groups has resulted in an active response from some officials, including, within the last six months, meetings with local officials from Beijing and Hebei, where they were encouraged to release supervision data 37

41 and also make a commitment to real time disclosure. At the same time the MEP has also been very active and has published notices and formulated regulations requiring enterprises to improve their information disclosure. Figure 23 Entrepreneurs leading the push for environmental information disclosure Top-left: Yabuli Forum Current President and Vanke Group Chairman - Wang Shi Top-right: Society of Entrepreneurs and Scholars Secretary General - Liu Xiaogang Middle-left: Member of National Committee of the CPPPC and Artron Chairperson - Wan Jie Middle-right: National People s Congress Representative and TCL Group Chairman of the Board Li Dongsheng Bottom-left: Society of Entrepreneurs and Scholars Former President and Dacheng Group Chairman Han Jiahuan Bottom-right: Yabuli Forum Founder and Lifetime Member and Meitong Group Chairman Wang Weijia 38

42 Table 10 Rapid progress made after the February 2010 Yabuli Forum February During the Winter Yabuli Forum 15 organizations published the "Yabuli 2013 Environmental Protection Joint Action Commitment" in which the entrepreneurial groups and environmental NGOs came together to promote pollution source information disclosure. March Li Dongsheng and Wan Jie submitted recommendations and proposals on 2013 the implementation of total transparency for pollution sources to the NPC and NCPPCC. March 26 entrepreneurial groups and environmental NGOs jointly launched the 28th Total Transparency Initiative which called for the total disclosure of pollution source information and that annual monitoring, supervision and discharge data for all key state monitored enterprises should be disclosed in a systematic, timely, comprehensive and user friendly way. April 11th Submitted an application of disclosure to the Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Environmental Protection Bureaus and the next day submitted a meeting request with the Beijing EPB. April 18th Representatives from Friends of Nature, IPE and the SEE Foundation held talks with the Beijing EPB officials, including Fang Li, the deputy director and a number of other officials. April 19th Beijing published supervision monitoring data for the 1st quarter. April 27th The Beijing EPB replied to the environmental NGOs application for information and stated that they had already published supervision monitoring data for the 1st quarter. Promised that before the end of the year they would also publish online monitoring data. May 7th The MEP released the public consultation on "Key State Monitored Enterprises Automatic Monitoring and Information disclosure Methods (for Trial Implementation" ) Key State Monitored Enterprises Pollution Source Supervision Monitoring Information Disclosure Methods (Trial Implementation) " m May 24th Friends of Nature, SEE Foundation and IPE presented recommendations to the MEP. July 5th Beijing started to publish online monitoring data for six air emission key monitored enterprises. See: July 16th The MEP released the Notice Regarding the Strengthening of Pollution Source Environmental Information Disclosure and also the List of Pollution Source Environmental Information Disclosure requiring environmental authorities at all levels to start disclosure from September ( 39

43 m ) July 31st The MEP released a notice on "Key State Monitored Enterprises Automatic Monitoring and Information disclosure Methods (for Trial Implementation") Key State Monitored Enterprises Pollution Source Supervision Monitoring Information Disclosure Methods (Trial Implementation) August Hebei EPB called the environmental NGOs requesting a meeting. On the 9th same day they also released the first and second quarter supervision monitoring results. August Three representatives from Hebei EPB met with Friends of Nature, IPE and 14th Tianjin Green Leaders in Beijing. The Tianjin EPB expressed regret that they had not responded sooner and also thanked the NGOs for their inquiries. They also stated that they would start disclosing online data on Jan 1 st Real time Disclosure in Provinces like Shandong and Zhejiang Leads the Way We were very happy to see that some provinces had already started to implement the requirements from the MEP and have made an attempt at real-time pollution source information disclosure. Using the Pollution Information Transparency Index evaluation system 29 the IPE conducted a preliminary evaluation of their disclosure platforms. The results can be seen in the table below: 30 Table 11 Evaluation results of monitoring platforms of key enterprises for emissions in 31 provinces Rank Province Systematic Timely Comprehensive User-friendly Total 1 Shandong Zhejiang Inner Mongolia Hebei Liaoning Anhui Henan Hubei Guizhou Jiangsu Jiangxi Jointly developed by IPE and the Natural Resources Defense Council 30 Only evaluated the provincial and municipal level cities on the online monitoring platform disclosure for key state monitored enterprises listed for air emissions. Because the platforms were set up not long time ago, there are issues such as data missing and the lack of historical data, which require further observation. This evaluation shows approximately the state of these disclosure platforms as they currently stand. The IPE will soon conduct a more in depth and detailed evaluation of key environmental protection cities using the PITI evaluation system. 40

44 Rank Province Systematic Timely Comprehensive User-friendly Total 12 Fujian Sichuan Guangxi Chongqing Qinghai Beijing Yunnan Shanxi Jilin Heilongjiang Shanghai Guangdong Hainan Tibet Shanxi Gansu Ningxia Xinjiang Hunan Tianjin Good practice in several regions deserves to be used as a reference. Shandong is ranked at the top because their automatic monitoring disclosure platform not only publishes a large amount of real-time disclosure data for key state monitored enterprises, but also for key provincially monitored enterprises. The frequency of missing data was low and data was updated in a timely fashion. Furthermore, the platform used a clear layout and tables to indicate those companies that had breached discharge standards. 41

45 Figure 24 Main page for the Shandong key monitored enterprise automatic monitoring disclosure platform Zhejiang and Shandong Provinces came joint first in the evaluation. In addition to monitoring and publishing both the key state monitored enterprises, and key provincially monitored enterprises in a complete and timely way, the Zhejiang disclosure platform is fast and easy to use and has impressive functions such as a comprehensive historical database and a powerful search tool. Figure 25 Zhejiang Province disclosure platform showing exceedances at some thermal power plants Inner Mongolia got the second highest score. Most notable was the fact that they plotted the locations of all key monitored enterprises on a digital map so the location of big emitters was obvious at a glance. 42

46 Figure 26 - Main page for the Inner Mongolia key monitored enterprise automatic monitoring disclosure platform Some areas have finished building online disclosure platforms but the lack of data affects their evaluation scores. Taking Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. as an example, on August 31 st 2013 the Hebei EPB handed down an administrative penalty notice to the company stating that, The online monitoring facilities for their No. 1 sinter were operating abnormally and data was being displayed as a constant value, which contravenes article 12, section two of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, so the company was handed a fine in accordance with article 46, section 3 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution. 31 However, several months after they were handed the fine, there was still a lack of online monitoring discharge data for several of Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. s discharge outlets. On January 13 th, 2014, there was no data shown for any of their discharge outlets on the Hebei online monitoring disclosure platform. Figure 27 Lack of data for Shougang Jingtang United Iron & Steel Co., Ltd

47 2.1.4 Preliminary Analysis of Real-time Disclosure Results We made an analysis of the online monitoring data from those provinces that have already started disclosure and came to four initial conclusions: Discharge from some Enterprises Seriously Exceeds Discharge Standards Shandong Case Study: Breaches of Discharge Standards by Key Enterprises are Widespread Shandong s disclosure platform shows that there are a total of 1009 key monitored enterprises in the province. Although these enterprises only account for around 20% of the total number of emitters in the province they account for a very high proportion of total emissions from the province. We analyzed the real-time data disclosed on the platform for the period October 1 st, 2013, to November 15 th, 2013 and calculated the frequency at which key state monitored enterprises listed for air emissions were breaching discharge standards. For a summary see below: Table 12 - Frequencies of exceedance of monitoring sites of key monitored enterprises for emissions Polluting Enterprises Frequency of NO x exceedance Frequency of SO 2 exceedance Liaocheng Enterprises 54.73% 28.68% Dongying Enterprises 61.02% 5.60% Dezhou Enterprises 44.83% 21.74% Binzhou Enterprises 54.90% 5.02% Yantai Enterprises 49.81% 9.48% Jining Enterprises 44.61% 6.40% Zibo Enterprises 42.04% 6.13% Heze Enterprises 40.52% 7.41% Qingdao Enterprises 26.47% 18.76% Laiwu Enterprises 14.59% 23.80% Rizhao Enterprises 33.62% 0.74% Weihai Enterprises 29.62% 4.70% 44

48 Polluting Enterprises Frequency of NO x exceedance Frequency of SO 2 exceedance Zaozhuang Enterprises 24.40% 7.43% Taian Enterprises 22.61% 5.89% Linyi Enterprises 20.04% 6.29% Weifang Enterprises 23.06% 2.39% Ji nan Enterprises 18.36% 5.56% From the table it s possible to see that for the evaluation period, the frequency at which key monitored enterprises in Shandong breached discharge standards is quite high, especially for NO x where some of the big emitters were breaching discharge standards more than 50% of the time. Hebei Case Study: Steel Factories are Breaching New Discharge Standards on a Large Scale From the Hebei online monitoring disclosure platform we can see that a group of large scale steel factories are seriously breaching discharge standards that came into force on November 30 th, To make the following graphs clearer for the reader we added the company name as well as line indicating the current national discharge standard and the new Hebei provincial standard. Figure 28 December SO 2 emissions for Chengde Jianlong Steel Group compared with the new standard limit value 45

49 Figure 29 December SO 2 emissions levels for Xinjin Aosen Steel compared with the new standard limit value Figure 30 SO 2 emissions levels from Shougang Mining (Sintering Plant) discharge outlet No.3 compared with the new standard limit value 46

50 Figure 31 - SO 2 emissions levels from Tangshan Ganglu Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. compared with the new standard limit value Figure 32 December SO 2 emissions for Tangshan Bainite Steel Co., Ltd. compared with the new standard limit value 47

51 Figure 33 December SO 2 emissions for Hebei Iron & Steel Group compared with the new standard limit value Figure 34 - December SO 2 emissions for Wuhan Yuhua Steel Co., Ltd. compared with the new standard limit value 48

52 Beijing Case Study: Average Daily Emissions shows that there are still Exceedances The Beijing online monitoring disclosure platform 32 shows that from October to December, out of eight key monitored enterprises listed for air emissions, six had emissions in breach of the authorized emission standards. Both Huadian (Beijing) Thermal Power Co., Ltd. 33 and Beijing Taiyanggong Gas Thermal Power Co., Ltd. had multiple instances of breaching the discharge standards and some of these instances were serious breaches. See appendix D for more information on the other key monitored enterprises in Beijing that breached discharge standards Discharge Levels Remains Very High Even During Periods of Heavy Pollution Shandong Case Study: During Periods of Heavy Pollution Instances of Emission Standards Being Breached were Very High In October 2013, during periods when the AQI for all cities in Shandong exceeded 200, the key monitored enterprises listed for air emissions in those cities were found to have exceeded discharge standards to varying degrees. Furthermore, the frequency at which key state monitored enterprises were breaching discharge standards on an hourly basis was very high. Table 13 Exceedance of key monitored sites for emissions in cities of Shandong City Hours of AQI>200 Hours of SO 2 exceedance Hours of NO x exceedance Zaozhuang Heze Jining Liaocheng Dezhou Binzhou Qingdao Linyi Laiwu Ji nan Zibo Taian Daily average concentration values in mg/m 3 33 On January 15 th, staff from Huadian (Beijing) Thermal Power Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Beijing Huadian) called the IPE to express their doubt about the data showing exceedances at Beijing Huadian that were used in the report. IPE explained that the data that was used in the report came from the Beijing EPB automatic monitoring platform which was set-up according to the law to show automatic monitoring data from key state monitored enterprises. On the same day the IPE received another call from staff at Huadian Beijing stating that they had already contacted the Beijing EPB on the data discrepancy issue and were now waiting for official clarification from them. 49

53 City Hours of AQI>200 Hours of SO 2 exceedance Hours of NO x exceedance Dongying Weifang Weihai From October 1 st 2013 to November 15 th 2013, the cities of Zibo, Zaozhuang, Weifang, Taian, Linyi, Liaocheng, Laiwu, Jining, Jinan, Binzhou, Dezhou, Dongying, and Heze in Shandong province all experienced an AQI with a 24 hour moving average of more than 200. We chose the greatest 24 hour moving average for these 13 cities during the period October 1 st, 2013 to November 15 th, 2013 and found that one or discharge outlets for a number of companies were breaching discharge standards every hour for the period. Liaocheng: Time Period: October 28 th, 2013 October 29 th, 2013 Air quality: Moving 24 hr. average Monitoring site (SO 2) Table 14 Exceedances of SO 2 at monitoring sites in Liaocheng Observation counts 34 Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Xinyuan Aluminum (4-5) Xinyuan Aluminum (1-3) Huaxin Aluminum (14-15) Huaxin Aluminum (12-13) Huaxin Aluminum (9-11) Dongchang Coking Plant (3) Dongchang Coking Plant (1-2) Monitoring site (NO x) Table 15 - NO x Exceedances at monitoring sites in Liaocheng Observation counts Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Liaocheng Power Plant (3-4) Liaocheng Power Plant (1) Liaocheng Thermal Power Plant(7-8) There was no data showing for Liaocheng from 5pm on October 28 th, to 5 pm on October 29 th and from 8 pm on the 28 th to midnight. 50

54 Monitoring site (NO x) Observation counts Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Xinyuan Aluminum (4-5) Xinyuan Aluminum (1-3) Huaxin Aluminum (14-15) Huaxin Aluminum (12-13) Huaxin Aluminum (9-11) Quanlin Thermal Power Plant (1-3) Deneng Power Plant (1-2) Changrun Thermal Power Plant (1-3) Qilu Heating Company (1-4) Liaocheng Thermal Power Plant (7-8) (5-6) Yunhe Thermal Power Plant (7-8) (1-4) Bingzhou: Time Period: 4am on October 29 th, am on October 30 th Air Quality: Moving 24 hr. Average AQI Monitoring site (NO x) Table 16 - NO x Exceedances at monitoring sites in Binzhou Observation counts 35 Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Lubei Power Plant(1) Lubei Power Plant(2) Zhanhua Thermal Power Plant 3( 临时 ) Zhanhua Thermal Power Plant 4( 临时 ) Zouwei Thermal Power Plant (3-4) Weiqiao Pioneering (Thermal Power Plant7-8) Weiqiao Pioneering (Thermal Power Plant 5-6) For all cities in Shandong between October 1 st and November 15 th there was no data for midnight so the number of daily readings was 23 at the most. 51

55 Monitoring site (NO x) Weiqiao Textile (Thermal Power Plant 5-6) Weiqiao Pioneering (Thermal Power Plant 1-2) Zouwei Thermal Power Plant (1-2) Weiqiao Aluminum & Elelctricity(1-2) Weiqiao Aluminum & Elelctricity (7-8) Weiqiao Aluminum & Electricity (5-6) Dingfeng Thermal Power Plant (1-3) Dingfeng Thermal Power Plant (4-5) Weiqiao Textile (Thermal Power Plant 1-2) Weiye Thermal Power Plant (4-5) Binbei Thermal Power Plant (1-4) Observation counts 35 Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Jinan Thermal Power Plant Weiye Thermal Power Plant (1-3) Jining: Time Period: 2am on October 29 th, am on October 30th Air Quality: Moving 24 hr. Average AQI Monitoring site (NO x) Table - 17 NO x Exceedances at monitoring sites in Jining Observation counts Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Zouxian Power Plant(7) Zouxian Power Plant (8) Jiaxiang Power Plant (2) Zouxian Power Plant (1-2) Sun Paper (Third Phase 4-5) Zouxian Power Plant(4)

56 Monitoring site (NO x) Observation counts Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Zouxian Power Plant (1) Yunhe Power Plant (5) Yunhe Power Plant (1-2) Jining Power Plant (2) Lineng Power Plant(5-6) Jining Power Plant (6) Yunhe Power Plant (3-4) Shencheng Thermal Power Plant (2) Nantun Power Plant(4-6) Sun Paper (Second Phase1-3) Huajin Corp.(5-9) Jining Power Plant(5) Gaoxin Thermal Power Plant (1-2) Daizhuang Power Plant(1-2) Yishan Chemical(1) Huajin Corp.(1-4) Hongkuang Corp.(1-3) Heze: Time Period: 11pm on October 28 th, pm on October 29th AQI Air Quality: 24hr Moving Average AQI Monitoring site (NO x) Table 18 - NO x exceedances at monitoring sites in Heze Observation counts Exceedance counts Lowest exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple CR Power (2) Heze Power Plant (6) Heze Power Plant (5) Heze Power Plant (1-2) Heze Power Plant (4) Dongming Petrochem(3-5) Dezhou: Time Period: 3pm on October 28 th, 2013 to 3pm on October 29th Air Quality: Moving 24 hr. Average AQI

57 Monitoring site (NO x) Table 19 - NOx exceedances at monitoring sites in Dezhou Observation counts Exceedance counts Minimal exceedance multiple Highest exceedance multiple Dezhou Power Plant(5) Dezhou Power Plant(3) Dezhou Power Plant(1) Petrochem Plant(4-8) Leyuan Thermal Power Plant(1-2) Hengli Thermal Power Plant (1-3) Yangmei Chemical(1-3) For more details on key monitored enterprises breaching discharge standards during periods of heavy pollution please see appendix C. Zhejiang Case Study: During Periods of Heavy Pollution in the Yangtze River Delta there are still serious Levels of Emission Discharge The Zhejiang automatic monitoring disclosure platform shows that most key state monitored thermal power plants are using the relatively lax national discharge standard (GB ). Even though this is the case there are still some state monitored thermal power plants whose emissions breach discharge standards. At the start of December 2013, the eastern part of China experienced the most severe smog for the last ten years. Even though these unfavorable conditions existed, the discharge concentrations from many of Zhejiang Province s big emitters were still high, and were way above the limits set in the new national standard for thermal power plants which will become effective in the near future. 54

58 Figure 35 Online monitoring data for Zhejiang Hengyang Thermal Power Co., Ltd. for the period October 1 st to December 10 th 2013 Figure 36 Online monitoring data for Zhejiang Xinfeng Thermal Power Co., Ltd. for the period October 1 st to December 10 th

59 Figure 37 - Online monitoring data for Zhejiang Huajia Thermal Power Co., Ltd. for the period October 1 st to December 10 th 2013 Figure 38 - Online monitoring data for Shaoxing Gaobu Thermal Power Co., Ltd. for the period October 1 st to December 10 th

60 Figure 39 - Online monitoring data for Jiashan County Hongfeng Thermal Power Co., Ltd. for the period October 1 st to December 10 th 2013 Hebei Case Study: During Periods of Heavy Pollution Steel Factories have Particulate Matter Discharge well in Excess of the Authorized Discharge Standards The online monitoring disclosure platform shows that during periods of heavy pollution a group of steel factories have been discharging fume (particulate matter) in breach of discharge standards. Take Tangshan City for example: Tangshan s air quality information for December shows that on at least four occasions the city experienced periods of smog classified as severe, or worse than severe. During this very smoggy month, the concentration of fumes (particulate matter) discharged from many of Tangshan s steel companies breached discharge standard levels for extended periods of time. Figure 40 December 2013 Air quality trends in Tangshan

61 Figure 41 Comparison of Tangshan Ganglu Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. s December particulate matter discharge and the discharge standard level Figure 42 - Comparison of Hebei Tangyin Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. s December particulate matter discharge and the discharge standard level 58

62 Figure 43 - Comparison of Hebei Jinxi Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. s December particulate matter discharge and the discharge standard level In December 2013 many cities in Hebei experienced periods of very severe smog. We chose the cities of Tangshan, Handan and Shijiazhuang as typical examples and took their daily average air pollutant concentration level graphs and superimposed the graphs showing the pollution discharge from some of the high intensity emitters in that city. Please see below for the results: Enterprise in Tangshan: Shougang Mining Co., Ltd. (Sintering Plant) No. 4 Discharge Outlet Pollutant: SO 2 Average Daily Discharge Concentration (mg/m 3 ) Time Period: December 17 th December 31 st 2013 Figure 44 - Shougang Mining (sintering plant) daily SO2 emission average concentration and Tangshan daily SO2 concentration in December Trends in Air Quality for Tangshan in December, 59

63 Handan Enterprise: Wuan Yuhua Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. No m 2 sintering machine postdesulfurization outlet Pollutant: SO 2 average daily concentrations (mg/m 3 ) Time Period: December 11 th December 31 st 2013 Figure 45 - Wuan Yuhua Iron & Steel daily SO2 emission average concentration and Handan daily SO2 concentration in December 38 Shijiazhuang Enterprise: Hebei Xibaipo Power Co., Ltd. No.1 Discharge Outlet Pollutant: Fumes Average Daily Concentration (mg/m 3 ) Time Period: December 1 st December 31 st 2013 Figure 46 - Hebei Xibaipo Power daily fume emission average concentration and Shijiazhuang dailypm2.5 concentration in December December AQI trends in Handan, 39 Shijiazhuang December AQI Trends, 60

64 We believe that whether the changes in emissions volume from these major pollution sources has a direct impact on local air quality is worth investigating further. Shandong Case Study: Levels of Emissions from some Enterprises are Extremely High Using the real-time data on the pollution source monitoring data disclosure platform for provincially and state controlled enterprises in Shandong, we calculated the emissions volume for each enterprise for the period October to December. Three months of emissions discharge for big emitting enterprises with 200 tons or more of emissions per month are shown below: Table 20 - SO 2 emissions of polluting enterprises with monthly emissions of more than 200 tons for three consecutive months (13 in total, unit: ton) City Enterprise October Emissions November Emissions December Emissions Total Emission Liaocheng Liaocheng Power Plant Yantai Yantai Power Plant Jining Zouxian Power Plant Dezhou Dezhou Power Plant Liaocheng Huaxin Aluminum Liaocheng Xinyuan Aluminum Qingdao Qingdao Power Plant Taian Shiheng Power Plant Heze Heze Power Plant Weifang Weifang Power Plant Laiwu Laigang Iron Works Rizhao Rizhao Steel Heze CR Power Note: Many points had a monitoring or emissions discharge value of 0. In these cases it was not possible to calculate a discharge volume for those times as it would lower the calculated monthly values compared to the actual emissions volumes. In October the Yunhe Power Plant was missing data for SO % of the time and the Yantai Power Plant was missing data for SO 2 for 28.2% of the time. In November SO 2 data for the Heze Power Plant was missing 20.1% of the time and in December So2 data for the Jining Power Plant was missing 17.1% of the time. Table 21 - NO x emissions of polluting enterprises with emissions > 200 ton for three months (36 in total, unit: ton) City Enterprise October Emissions November Emissions December Emissions Total Emission Liaocheng Liaocheng Power Plant Dezhou Dezhou Power Plant Jining Zouxian Power Plant Heze Heze Power Plant Jining Yunhe Power Plant

65 City Enterprise October Emissions November Emissions December Emissions Total Emission Zibo Qilu Petrochem Heze CR Power Rizhao Rizhao Power Plant Yantai Bainian Electricity Weifang Weifang Power Plant Weihai Huaneng Weihai Taian Shiheng Power Plant Liaocheng Liaocheng thermal power Zaozhuang Xinyuan thermal power Liaocheng Xinyuan Aluminum Zaozhuang Shenfeng Cement Linyi Feixian Power Plant Jining Sun Paper Rizhao Rizhao Steel Laiwu Laicheng Power Plant Liaocheng Huaxin Aluminum Jining Jiaxiang Power Plant Qingdao Qingdao Power Plant Jining Lineng Power Plant Zaozhuang Quanxing Cement Jining Jining Power Plant Jinan Zhangqiu Power Plant Zibo Baiyanghe Electricity Dongying Shengli Power Plant Qingdao Huangdao Power Plant Yantai Penglai Power Plant Laiwu Laiwu Power Plant Jining Shengcheng Thermal Power Zaozhuang Yicheng Pucheng Ji nan Jinan Steel Yantai Longkou Donghai Note: Many points had a monitoring or emissions discharge value of 0. In these cases it was not possible to calculate a discharge volume for those times as it would incorrectly reduce the monthly calculated values and not properly reflect the actual emissions volumes. In October Yunhe Power Plant was missing data for NO X 24.1% of the time and Jiayang Power Plant was missing 26.3% of data, Xinyuan Power Plant was missing 20.6%, Qingdao was missing 26%, Penglai Power plant 36.4% and Jining Power Plant was missing 26.4% of its data. In November the Yunhe Power Plant was missing 27.3% of its NO X data, Xinyuan Power Plant was missing 20.6%, Qingdao Power Plant was missing 26%, Penglai Power Plant 36.4% and Jining Power Plant was missing 26.4%. In December Dezhou Power Plant was missing 10.3% of its NO X data. 62

66 Some Key Areas have not Tightened Emission Standards Good Practice Case Study 1 - Shandong Province the first to Implement more Stringent Air Emission Standards It is worth mentioning that the Shandong online disclosure platform uses new local emission standards, which are more stringent than the current national ones, for reporting major air polluting industries and companies (such as thermal power plants, iron and steel factories, building materials factories etc.). According to an announcement 40 by the Shandong EPB in August 2013, the following six local environmental standards (hereafter referred to as Atmospheric Series Standards ) were officially implemented on September 1 st, Shandong Province - Integrated Regional Emission Standard for Air Pollutants DB37/ Shandong Province Emission standard of Air Pollutants for Thermal Power Plants DB37/ Shandong Province Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for the Iron and Steel Industry DB37/ Shandong Province Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for the Building Materials Industry DB37/ Shandong Province Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Boilers DB37/ Shandong Province Emission Standard of Air Pollutants for Industrial Kilns and Furnaces DB37/ We looked into the thermal power plant, iron and steel, and cement industries, to compare the major differences between the local Shandong Atmospheric Series Standards and the corresponding national standards. 41 Type Coal-fired boiler Table 22 - Comparison of thermal power industry standards 42 Current Current New National New Shandong Pollutant Shandong National Standards from Standards from Standards Standards Fume 30 50/ SO / NOx 100/ /650/ / / Notice on the six regional atmospheric environmental standards in the Implementation of the Shandong Province - Integrated Regional Emission Standards for Atmospheric Pollutants, Shandong EPB Notice (2013) No The comparison of discharge standard and limits in this report all refer to a unit of mg/m3 except when otherwise mentioned. 42 Compared only the SO2, NOx and fume emission limits for coal-fired boilers applied to existing thermal power plants. 43 Atmospheric Pollutant Discharge Standards for Thermal Power Plants (GB ), thermal power plant s coal-fired boiler built in the phase 3 period. 44 Atmospheric Pollutant Discharge Standards for Thermal Power Plants (GB ). 63

67 Steel Production Procedure Sintering Iron making Steel rolling Table 23 - Comparison of steel industry standards 45 Current Manufacturing Pollutant Shandong Process Standards Current National Standards 46 New New National Shandong Standards Standards from from Equipment for PM sintering and SO pelleting NOx PM hot-blast stove SO NOx PM heat treatment SO furnace NOx Table 24 - Comparison of construction material (cement) industry standards 48 Current Industry/Process/Equipment Pollutant Shandong Standards Current National Standards 49 New New National Shandong Standards Standards from from PM Manufacture of cement: SO cement kilns and cement mills NOx The SO 2 and NO x emission limit values for thermal power plants, and iron and steel plants, are significantly stricter in Shandong s local standards than in current national standards. The implementation of the new Shandong thermal power plant standard, corresponding to the new national standard (GB ), has been brought forward by 10 months in Shandong, from July 1 st, 2014 to September 1 st,2013; The implementation of the new Shandong iron and steel industry standard 45 Compared only the SO 2, NO x and PM emission limits of a few manufacturing processes applied to existing iron and steel mills. 46 Including: Emission standard of air pollutants for sintering and pelletizing of iron and steel industry (GB ), Emission standard of air pollutants for steel rolling industry, (GB ), Emission standard of air pollutants for iron smelt industry, (GB ), Emission standard of air pollutants for steel smelt industry (GB ), Emission standard of pollutants for ferroalloy smelt industry, (GB ). 47 See footnote To compare only the SO 2, NO x and PM emission limit of major manufacturing processes applied to existing cement mills. 49 Emission standard of air pollutants for cement industry (GB ) 50 Emission standard of air pollutants for cement industry (GB ) 64

68 corresponding to the new national standard (6 related emission standards for the steel industry, namely GB to GB ) has been brought forward by 16 months in Shandong, from January 1 st, 2015 to September 1 st, 2013; The Shandong emission standards for the cement industry has kept the same discharge limits for the pollutants SO 2 and NO x as the national standards, but has significantly tightened the limit value for PM. Shandong will start to implement a new cement industry discharge standard from January 2015, which is six months earlier than the corresponding new national standard. The new Shandong standard will apply a tighter emission control on SO 2 compared to the new national standard. Shandong has taken the lead in implementing stricter control standards for large emitters within the province, which has proved an important factor in pushing for a reduction in emissions. As a major industrial province which ranks first on total amount of pollutants discharged, Shandong faces a pressing need to tackle its air pollution. According to the 2012 State of the Environment in Shandong Report, the electricity and heat generation & supply industry has discharged the most SO 2 and NO x among all the industries, accounting for 52% and 62.8% respectively. Therefore, implementing stricter standards for key emission industries is crucial. The good practice shown by Shandong has put forward a clear legal requirement for industries to achieve a step by step emission reduction, which has also enabled the public to participate in monitoring those enterprises that have not put much effort into reducing emissions. Even though this stricter requirement has contributed to a higher frequency of discharge exceedances, as shown on the real-time online monitoring platform, in the long run, it is helpful for these key statemonitored companies to get prepared for the new national standards that are upcoming. 65

69 Good Practice Case Study 2: Beijing Adopting the Most Stringent Special Emission Limits for Air Pollutants As of December 31 st, 2013, 8 out of the 10 key state-monitored companies (listed for air emissions) in Beijing had made public their daily emission data (average) on the Beijing online disclosure platform. However, two companies 51 have still failed to disclose. Figure 47 Beijing key state-monitored enterprises automatic monitoring disclosure platform Beijing key state-monitored enterprises (listed for air emissions) are using the stricter Beijing local emission standard, namely the Emission standard of air pollutants for boilers (DB 11/ ). The discharge limit value in this standard is the same as the Air pollutants Special Emission Limit in Table 2 of the 2011 standard, the Emission standard of air pollutants for thermal power plants (GB ), which is one of the most stringent emission standards in China s history. According to the No. 14 Notice issued by the MEP in 2013, 52 in the 47 main cities categorized as key control zones, existing thermal power plants, iron and steel, and petrochemical industry enterprises, need to meet the requirements of the Air pollutants Special Emission Limit before the end of the 12 th Five Year Plan period. Furthermore, coal-fired thermal power plants are required to meet the special emission limit for fumes from July 1 st, SinoPec Corp. (Beijing Yanshan Branch), Beijing Shougang Cold-Rolled Sheet Steel Co., Ltd. 52 Notice of implementing the Special Emission limit of air pollutants, MEP Notice, No. 14,

70 As the MEP notice only mentions that the implementation time for this special emission limit should be within the 12 th Five Year Plan period, most of the cities in key control zones have not implemented this stricter limit. However, Beijing started to implement this special stricter local standard from July 1st, In Tianjin, a city also located in the key control zone of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the currently implemented local emission standard for boilers has a less stringent limit for NO x. Table 25 - Pollutant emission standards for boilers in Beijing and Tianjin Type Pollutant Current Beijing Standard 53 Current Tianjin Standard 54 Special emission limit for air pollutants Coal-fired boilers Fume SO NO x The Beijing online automatic monitoring platform shows that 55 based on their daily emission data during the period Oct-Dec 2013, six out of the eight key state-monitored enterprises (listed for air emissions) have exceeded emission limits. Among these, two companies, Huadian (Beijing) Thermal Power Co., Ltd 56 and Beijing Taiyanggong Gas-fired Thermal Power Company, have shown multiple exceedances. For more details, please refer to Appendix D. Further analysis on discharge volume data for a 3-months period showed that major thermal power plants in Beijing have seen an increase in volumes of pollutants released since the start of the winter heating season in mid-november. For more detailed analysis please refer to Appendix E. Overall, due to the fact that Beijing has implemented the most stringent emission standards in the region, and most of the key state-monitored enterprises in Beijing can meet the discharge limits, the total discharge volume from Beijing s key state-monitored enterprises is far less than those in other cities in the same region. 53 Emission standard of air pollutants for boilers (DB 11/ ) Table 2, Phase II boilers in thermal power plants. 54 Emission standard of air pollutants for boilers (DB 12/ ) Table 2, Phase II coal-fired boilers. 55 The pollutant discharge concentration is the average daily value (unit: mg/m 3 ) 56 On January 15 th, staff from Huadian (Beijing) Thermal Power Co., Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Beijing Huadian) called the IPE to express their doubt about the data showing exceedances at Beijing Huadian that were used in the report. IPE explained that the data that was used in the report came from the Beijing EPB automatic monitoring platform which was set-up according to the law to show automatic monitoring data from key state monitored enterprises. On the same day the IPE received another call from staff at Huadian Beijing stating that they had already contacted the Beijing EPB on the data discrepancy issue and were now waiting for official clarification from them. 67

71 Good Practice Case Study 3: Hebei Province implemented a more Stringent Emission Standard for its Iron and Steel Industry 75 key state-monitored iron and steel plants are listed on the Hebei pollution source automatic monitoring platform. The 2013 Q3 Supervision Monitoring Results for Hebei Key State-monitored Enterprises, shows that most of these enterprises use the national iron and steel industry emission standards (6 relevant emission standards for the steel industry, namely GB to GB ) made effective on 1 October Hebei issued a local standard, Emission standard of air pollutants in iron and steel industry (DB13/ ) on November 30 th, 2011, which requires that existing iron and steel plants implement a more stringent emission limit two years after the date the standard became effective. A detailed comparison of the local and national standard is shown in the following table: Table 26 - Hebei local standards and national standards for steel industry comparison 57 Production unit or facility in steel making process Pollutant Hebei standard from Current Hebei standard from Current National standard from National standard from Sintering Blast furnace iron making sintering machine head, pellet firing equipment, drying machine (pelleting) hot-blast stove PM SO NOx PM SO NOx PM Steel making lime-calcination reactor SO (coalfired) 80 (gasfired) 400 (coalfired) 80 (gasfired) - - Steel rolling heat treatment furnace NOx PM SO NOx We found that from November 30 th, 2013, existing iron and steel plants in Hebei province had to implement a stricter emission standard than the current national one. Take the Sintering process as an example, the new Hebei standard sets the SO 2 discharge limit at 200mg/m 3, far stricter than 57 Only compared SO 2, NO x and PM discharge limit values at existing steel plants for some production processes. 68

72 the current national standard of 600mg/m 3. Guangdong Province also has a more stringent local emission standard in place; however, regrettably until now the provincial online monitoring disclosure portal of Guangdong province has not yet been made public. For more details please refer to Appendix F. Many Heavily Polluted Provinces and Regions have still not tightened their Emission Standards Whether or not thermal power plants can meet new national standard remains a big question. In less than six months, by July 1 st, 2014, all existing thermal power plants will have to implement the new national emission standard. The discharge limits for main atmospheric pollutants, namely SO 2 and NO x, will be greatly reduced. However our research has found that most of the major power supplying provinces, such as Hebei, Zhejiang, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu and Henan, are still using the current national standard Inner Jiangsu Shandong HenanGuangdongShanxi Hebei Zhejiang Liaoning Anhui Mongolia 内江山河广山河浙辽安蒙苏东南东西北江宁徽古 Figure TOP 10 provinces for coal consumption in the thermal power industry 58 Note: Green colored provinces have implemented tighter emission control while gray colored ones have not. Based on the analysis of online emission data from Hebei and Zhejiang provinces, thermal power plants are constantly discharging at relatively high levels (particularly for the air pollutant NO x), far higher than the upcoming new national standard. Whether or not these plants have prepared for the implementation of the new requirements in half a year s time and are able to significantly improve their pollutant treatment capability remains a worrisome question. 58 Based on the China Environmental Statistics Report 2011 (page 203) 69

73 Hebei Case Study: The emissions standards for thermal power plants is far less strict than in Shandong, and the level of emissions is far higher than the levels stipulated in the new upcoming standard 36 key state-monitored thermal power plants are listed on the Hebei Pollution source online monitoring platform. The 2013 Q3 Supervision Monitoring Results for Hebei Key State-monitored Enterprises, shows that most of these power plants use the current national standards (GB ), which were implemented in 2004, and have been used since. Data shown on the Hebei automatic monitoring platform shows that for the period October December 2013, pollutant emissions from some of the key monitored thermal power plants either exceeded the standard limit values or was at a high concentration level. The following charts show a clear gap between the current emission patterns and the new emission standard that will be implemented in the future. Figure 49 - NOx daily emission curve of Huaneng Power Int l Inc., Shang an Power Plant (Nov. 2013) 70

74 Figure 50 - NOx daily emission curve of Datang Int l Power Generation Co. Ltd, Douhe Power Plant (Dec. 2013) Figure 51 - NOx daily emission curve of Hebei Xibaipo Power Generation Co. Ltd (Nov. 2013) 71

75 Figure 52 - NOx daily emission curve of Hebei Handan Thermal Power Co. Ltd (Nov. 2013) Figure 53 - NOx daily emission curve of Hebei Hanfeng Power Generation Co. Ltd (Nov. 2013) 72

76 Zhejiang Case Study: Still a large gap to meet the new emission standards Figure 54 - Online monitoring data curve of Ningbo Zhengyuan Power Co. Ltd (Oct.1-Dec ) Figure 55 - Online monitoring data curve of Zhejiang Wenzhou Telulai Power Generation Co. Ltd (Oct.1-Dec ) 73

77 Figure 56 - Online monitoring data curve of Zhejiang Zheneng Beilun Power Generation Co. Ltd (Oct.1- Dec ) Figure 57 - Online monitoring data curve of Shaoxing Xinmin Thermal Power Co. Ltd. (Oct.1-Dec ) 74

78 Figure 58 - Online monitoring data curve of Jiaxing Nengda Buyun Thermal Power Co. Ltd. (Oct.1- Dec ) Online Monitoring Data has Shed Light on Key Regional Polluters Using the real-time online emission data published by Beijing, Hebei and Shandong provinces, we were able to compare the total pollutant emission volume released by the eight biggest key statemonitored enterprises (listed for air emissions) in each area. 59 The analysis reveals a striking difference in the scale of emissions at different industrial pollution sources in each area. By calculating the total emissions volumes for the period October to December 2013, Shandong and Hebei province s NO x emissions were 37 times and 30 times greater than that of Beijing. 59 Please see appendix G for more details of these key state monitored enterprises pollution discharge volumes. 75

79 Comparison of Shandong, Hebei and Beijing NOx emissions from Oct-Dec, 2013 Unit: 单位 : ton 吨 14,000 12,000 10,000 11,233 11,416 12,600 9,193 9,396 9,528 8,000 6,000 4,000 2, Dembember 12 月氮氧化物 11 November 月氮氧化物 10 月氮氧化物 October Top 山东前 8 in 8 家 Top 河北前 8 in Top 8 in 8 家北京 8 家 Shandong Hebei Beijing Figure 59 - Comparison of Shandong, Hebei and Beijing NOx emissions from Oct-Dec 2013 By calculating the total emissions volumes for the period October to December 2013, Shandong and Hebei province s SO 2 emissions were respectively 77 times and 67 times greater than that of Beijing. Unit: ton Comparison of Shandong, Hebei and Beijing SO 2 emissions from Oct-Dec, ,000 5,000 4,000 3,883 3,513 4,793 3,707 5,364 5,019 3,000 2,000 1, December 月二氧化硫 11 月二氧化硫 November 10 October 月二氧化硫 Top 山东前 8 in 8 家 河北前 Top 8 in 8 家 北京 Top88 in 家 Shandong Heberi Beijing Figure 60 - Comparison of SO2 emissions in Shandong, Hebei and Beijing for Oct-Dec

80 Based on the December data for Shandong, Hebei and Beijing, as published on their online monitoring platforms, an illustrative graphic was made to show the distribution of some of the key regional pollution sources and the scale of their daily emissions. Figure 61 - Distribution and scale of emissions from key regional polluters in Beijing, Shandong and Hebei It should be noted that despite several reminders sent to the Tianjin EPB by environmental groups, there is still no online disclosure platform for Tianjin. This means that the region is lacking a significant portion of its data, so we suggest that Tianjin immediately follow-up on this. Showing a comparison of discharge volumes and main pollution sources on a map helps to clearly show pollution discharge sources within a geographical region. The huge disparity between emissions volumes in Beijing, Hebei and Shandong shows how necessary it is to adopt a regionally integrated approach to pollution control in the area. 2.2 A Key Breakthrough is needed to Promote Step by Step Emissions Reductions The widespread smog in 2013 gave rise to social concern and resulted in an aggressive action plan being implemented. On September 10 th, 2013, the State Council issued the Air Pollution Reduction Action Plan that proposed a sharp reduction of heavily polluted days by 2017 for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Area, the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze Delta. It also aimed to eliminate heavy pollution days over the following five years and beyond. 77